Gov. Mark Gordon signed nine more bills into law on the afternoon of Mar. 12.
Signed: Rock art protections
One creates repercussions for people who vandalize petroglyphs, pictographs and historical inscriptions, with fines of up to $750 and/or up to six months in jail.
The original version of SF 91 set out to give the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources roughly $450,000 to survey, document and create 3-D models of all known pictographs and petroglyphs on state land.
But that funding was cut out by an amendment from the House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee at the end of February, over concern that it would stop the rest of the bill from getting passed. However, language in the bill still gives the State Parks Department the ability to start that surveying.
“Where the current temperature is, I think that the appropriation would potentially make this bill go away for a long time,” said Committee Chair Rep. Andrew Byron (R-Jackson).
Rep. Karlee Provenza (D-Laramie) shared her frustration with the limitations on the ability to fund the surveying and modeling.
“I'm just struck by the fact that we put $10 million for gold bars in our statute, and I appreciate the amendment because I do think we need to get this done, but I guess I just want to express that I'm heartbroken at the direction that the body upstairs has continued to take,” she said.
Provenza was referencing the Wyoming Gold Act, which requires the state to invest at least $10 million in gold. Gordon allowed that bill to become law without his signature at the end of February.
Signed: Wyoming Wednesday
The governor also put his signature on a bill that creates “Wyoming Wednesday,” which will take place on the second Wednesday of every month. It grew out of efforts from students at Cheyenne’s Triumph High School and invites Wyomingites to wear brown and gold “in celebration of the state of Wyoming and in an effort to bring unity to the state's communities.”
Signed: Funds for enhanced oil and gas recovery
He similarly gave SF 17 - Carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery stimulus his stamp of approval, which creates a $10 million fund to support a process called “enhanced oil and gas recovery.” That can look like pumping carbon dioxide under the ground to extract oil and gas that hasn’t already been removed.
The law gives a tax cut to energy producers using Wyoming-sourced carbon dioxide for enhanced oil and gas recovery. A press release from Gordon’s office said the law “supports Wyoming's all-of-the- above energy policy and fights back against what have been anti-fossil fuel policies coming out of Washington, DC.”
The governor signed the following bills on Mar. 12. Click this link and search by bill number or title to see drafts of the bill. A regularly updated list of bills Gordon has signed, let become into law without his signature and vetoed is here.
Enrolled Act, Bill #, Bill Title
HEA0059 HB0219 County and municipal roads on state lands-easements granted.
HEA0063 HB0136 Volunteer first responder health insurance-revisions.
HEA0078 HB0246 Wyoming Wednesday.
SEA0070 SF0051 Wyoming telecommunications act revisions.
SEA0071 SF0043 Temporary water use agreements amendments.
SEA0076 SF0108 Recreation safety-agritourism.
SEA0091 SF0091 Petroglyph, pictograph and historic inscription protection.
SEA0095 SF0017 Carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery stimulus.
SEJR0002 SJ0004 Resolution on commercial base power
